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Docker Acquires Mutagen

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51–60 of 63 posts

Re: Docker Acquires Mutagen

#51
post #44

Why are acquisitions legal? Is there ever a serious argument for how a company acquiring another company is net beneficial to users/customers?

That question is debated, and for good reason. I'm a fan of the limitations based on market cap and valuations. We really have done a terrible job at upholding Sherman's Antitrust act, instead allowing the very thing it was attempting to prevent, to come true. All under the facade of "innovation".

Most arguments I've read on the issue are very telling. Arguments like we can't regulate M&A because they'll just invest elsewhere without M&A regulations. Which is great for several reasons: we should not want to protect companies that would that easily go elsewhere, and this assumes people need the company far more than the company needs people which is a gigantic problem in itself.

Re: Docker Acquires Mutagen

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

I think the norm you're suggesting goes against the original novelty of the "AMA." There is no act, and they're not the ones behaving poorly. Every AMA attracts odd questions, but it's even stranger to get mad about it.

Ah the original novelty of the AMA, back in those quaint gatherings at the town circle. Naturally the subjects were allowed to ask the minister literally anything. They all had a good laugh and much was learned. I harken back to those rosary tinted times of old. Good jolly.

Re: Docker Acquires Mutagen

#54
Oh, so that's why it has an extension for Docker Desktop.

Mutagen has become a core part of many of my workflows. The UX can be a little rough, but reliability and speed amazing.

Maybe they'll improve it a bit, maybe they'll mess it up, whatever, the current version is very good!

Re: Docker Acquires Mutagen

#55
post #44

Why are acquisitions legal? Is there ever a serious argument for how a company acquiring another company is net beneficial to users/customers?

Because people generally have the right to negotiate and form agreements with one another, that being one of the basic applications of free association. Every time a company buys a part it uses to build a product, or hires a contractor to do a specialized job, it's doing the same fundamental thing as it is in an acquisition.

That doesn't make the right unlimited; it isn't, and arguably it should be more tightly regulated. But disallowing acquisitions as a matter of policy would lead to weird results nobody wants.

Re: Docker Acquires Mutagen

#57
post #44

Why are acquisitions legal? Is there ever a serious argument for how a company acquiring another company is net beneficial to users/customers?

We don't legally limit companies or people to only doing things that are net beneficial to other people.

Re: Docker Acquires Mutagen

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the norm you're suggesting goes against the original novelty of the "AMA." There is no act, and they're not the ones behaving poorly. Every AMA attracts odd questions, but it's even stranger to get mad about it.

Ah the original novelty of the AMA, back in those quaint gatherings at the town circle. Naturally the subjects were allowed to ask the minister literally anything. They all had a good laugh and much was learned. I harken back to those rosary tinted times of old. Good jolly.

I'm sure you have something better to be doing.

Re: Docker Acquires Mutagen

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair, I appreciate the answer. I guess I’ve just seen enough purchases where it’s just for the payday that I’m a bit cynical. Thanks again for taking the time to read and answer, wishing you the best

Thanks! I totally get it — I think a lot of time with acquisitions in general there's also a lot of good faith intentions that never manifest for whatever practical reason(s), so I can totally understand why the cynicism arises. I appreciate the positive wishes and I will do my best to convert those into positive outcomes!

> there's also a lot of good faith intentions that never manifest for whatever practical reason(s)

This is the risk blindness that exists in people that find success.

No one will perceive risk correctly. They will either over or under estimate. Those there's a huge amount of survivorship bias and those who underestimate risk and get lucky will be those who experience the most outsized success.

This isn't to say the cynical "I told you so"s are right, they're blind to the benefits. It's just that it's easy to say you can see the win-win. From the outside it's easy to see that the underlying benefit for Docker is reducing the power and input of other sources of influence in their technology, and that's a greater benefit to them than any benefit that this move could possibly provide to the users. But if anyone could make it work it's you.

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